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Stuben County Stuben Ia [March] 8 1852Dear Brothers and Sisters

I now embrace the opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of my health and the health of my family which is tolerable good at present and hope these few lines will find you and your families enjoying the same blessing we have had a good deal of sickness in our family the past year I was sick last fall better than three months that I did not do a days work Matilda has had the lung complaint this winter and Mother health is poor and there has been a good many times within the past year that we did not expect she would live from one day to another she sends her love to you all and would be verry glad to see you all but it is probable that she will not unless you should come and see her for we have had so much sickness since we have lived in Indiana that it is rather more than we can do bring the year around even without having any thing to spend in visiting we have had the hard winter this winter Although the sleighing has been gone for this two on three weeks and there has been considerable sugar made in February here

Brother Shepard and family were well the last that we heard from them he has been teaching school this winter he is in comfortable circumstances owes nothing and has a good stock of cattle and money before hand although he will tell you that he is verry poor he has no wish nor inclination to do anything to help make his poor old Mother comfortable as he knows that it is not possible as much as I am sick for her to have all of the necessaries of life our boy will be three years old in May next he is a good stout child although he has been sick a great deal we had a letter from Carlos last [    ] and he wrote that Curtis' health was poor they thought he had the consumption as you may wish to know the prices of grain here wheat fifty cents per bushel Corn and Oats 25 cts Potatoes 37 cts and other things in proportion the Potatoes rotted with us the last season verry much provision of all kinds in plenty and easy to be had if a man is able to work and get it and is cheap and easy to be got hold of if a person has anything to pay for it with the California fever runs high here and there will probably from thirty to sixty start from here next Monday

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for the promised land of gold there has some of them that are a going now been there once and are now moving on familys so you see that man is never satisfied with his situation here in this world please answer this as soon as is convenient we wish Lydia much joy with her husband and expect a letter from them soon please write what you know about Mary and Cornelius and Levi and tell them to write to us likewise respecting Aunt Sally Fitch and the rest of our connection east we should be verry glad to see you [    ]here this summer if convenient I shall not make any excuses for not writing before for you see they will avail nothing we was sorry to hear that your little girl was dead but we do not think that you mourn as those that have lost children without giving any hopes of happiness Brother and Sister strive to live so that you can meet your child at the right hand of God I have nothing more of importance to write so I will Draw to a close by subscribing ourselves

your affectionate Brother and SisterLemuel ColtonMatilda Colton

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Mr Andrew FletcherWaterville Lamiole CountyVermontPleasnt Lake [      ]